Former Kaduna Central Senator and prominent human rights activist, Comrade Shehu Sani, has issued a stern, blunt warning to political actors and northern elites scheming to return the presidency to the North in the upcoming 2027 general elections.
Speaking in Kaduna on October 9, 2026, during a high-level political stakeholders' gathering, Sani departed from partisan rhetoric, addressing the audience with the grave caution of a statesman warning against national destabilization.
According to Sani, any attempt by northern political factions to disrupt the unspoken rotational presidency principle—following former President Muhammadu Buhari's eight-year tenure—could trigger severe national fractures and reignite dormant secessionist movements across the Southern region.
Addressing a hall of political leaders, youth groups, and community stakeholders, Sani cautioned that national stability hinges on fairness, equity, and geopolitical balance. He noted that while northern politicians have the democratic right to contest, doing so at the expense of regional harmony could carry catastrophic consequences for the federation.
Sani stressed that northern elites whispering opposition to power rotation in private must recognize the fragile state of national unity. He urged political leaders across the geopolitical zones to prioritize long-term peace over short-sighted political ambition.
Sani's comments come amid mounting political maneuvering across major political parties as alignments take shape ahead of the 2027 primary season. While several northern interest groups have begun calling for an open presidential primary across party lines, southern political blocs maintain that the South must complete an eight-year cycle to preserve national equilibrium.
The activist politician emphasized that northern Nigeria stands to gain more from peace, economic revitalization, and structural security interventions under a stable democratic system than from holding executive power amid widespread national friction.
He called on northern elder statesmen, traditional rulers, and political leaders to counsel ambitious politicians from the region against actions capable of plunging Nigeria into avoidable constitutional and socio-political crises.